Boycott McD's, Burger King for Participating in UK 'Workfare' Program Requiring Free Work to Get Gov't Assistance

American readers may not know much about the workfare program, but readers of all stripes should read up because some American companies are using the program to take advantage of unpaid labor abroad. Workfare is an initiative in the UK and Canada that requires unemployed individuals to work for no or very little pay in order to receive government benefits -- clear discrimination against poor citizens. 

The organization Boycott Workfare is organizing a boycott of companies that use exploitive Workfare labor (including American companies McDonald's and Burger King). The group describes the effort and lists companies in the boycott below:

Boycott Workfare is a UK-wide campaign to end forced unpaid work for benefits. Workfare benefits the rich by providing free labour, whilst threatening the poor by taking away welfare rights if people refuse to work without a living wage. We expose and take action against companies and organisations profiting from workfare; encourage organisations to pledge to boycott it; and actively inform people of their rights.

• Holland & Barrett who have cut down on overtime for staff because workfare can fill the gaps
• Tesco
• HMV – one manager described their workfare worker as “our free person”
• Matalan – “we are always grateful of the extra help, especially during busy times”
• Newham Council
• Haringey Council – Who have decimated their parks staff and intend to “bridge the gap” with Community Payback and workfare placements
• The Royal Mail
• Bookers Wholesale
• Sainsbury’s
• Argos
• Maplin
• TK Maxx
• Primark
• Boots
• McDonald’s
• Burger King
• Arcadia group of clothes stores
• Finsbury Park Business Forum – Wardens are deployed around stations in North London. In 2010, 800 paid station staff were made redundant across the Underground.
• Superdrug

Find out more about the boycott at the Boycott Workfare website.